New Found Glory - Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, December 16

New Found Glory wrapped up their Sticks and Stones 10th Anniversary Tour last night at Culture Room, hosting a final balls-to-the-wall hometown show, covering the past decade of NFG magic.

All night, guys held their girls close, and bros tossed their bros sky high.

On tour with the fivesome were up-and-comers Candy Hearts, fronted by lead singer and guitarist Mariel Loveland. Along with Kris Hayes, Christian Migliorese, and Matthew Ferraro, this group reminded us of a Paramore knock-off rather than visionary leaders of the future.

The musicianship of Candy Hearts left a little to be desired, but the vocals were what really made our ears bleed. Produced by NFG guitarist Chad Gilbert, we had high hopes for this leading lady and her mates. But sadly, the act itself is probably better heard on mute.

Second supporting act, The Story So Far, had us singing a different tune, though. OK, maybe not completely, but they definitely brought the crowd to the next level. We're not sure if the band's name comes from the hidden track on the Sticks and Stones record, but we weren't entirely disappointed by what we saw. There was crowd-surfing, mild-to-moderate moshing mayhem, and a few drifting clouds of weed smoke while these dudes did their thing, pumping up an anxious crowd for the leading act.

New Found Glory stormed the stage ready to rock the fuck out of the record that launched them into the pop-punk stratosphere. In between the all-out chaos of "Understatement," "Forget My Name," and "Head on Collision," the band collectively thanked the thrashing fans. The necessary if-it-weren't-for-you-guys-we-wouldn't-be-here cliches were peppered throughout the set, but a shoutout to Club Q and each member's high school alma maters brought out the epic nostalgia of this show.

It's a bit difficult to describe the energy level of a NFG crowd, other than saying they were probably the most hardcore, enthusiastically committed group of shirtless white boys, flannel-clad pre-teen girls, and toking old folks we've ever seen. Only at a New Found Glory anniversary show can you see a girl bounce around on stage with her titties out (unbeknownst to her), spy random groups of 20-somethings hovering near the pit complaining about their sore feet, and two grown-ass men stage dive and make it back to the mike before the next verse. In case you didn't quite grasp that last concept, we're referring to a coochie-cutter wearing Jordan Pundik and guitar-less Chad Gilbert's hand-holding tour of the crowd.

The whole set was a trip down memory lame for the majority of the crowd who knew every single lyric to every single song that was played. We're sure we weren't the only ones having flashbacks of high school and shows at good ol' Club Q. New Found Glory played the entire Sticks and Stones album from start to finish, and instead of wrapping things up, they kept on raging, closing with "Hit or Miss" from their 2000 self-titled album, a perfect sendoff for a bad-ass show.

Whether you're a fan of pop-punk or not (and don't even try to lie, everyone knows the lyrics to "My Friends Over You"), there is no way to deny the effect that Jordan, Chad, Steve, Ian, and Cyrus have had on the music scene. They've become nothing short of hometown heroes, making a name for Coral Springs other than the 'burbs west of I-95 where everyone you know grew up, and you often refuse to go.

Next to Steak 'N Shake, New Found Glory is the best thing to happen for Springs. And we're ready for what the next decade has in store.

Critics Notebook

The Band: Ian forever has his shirt off, Jordan was wearing shorts that showed his upper thigh, and Cyrus is probably one of the best drummers in the music biz.

Ever.

The Crowd: A few "new" straight-edge-shirt-wearing kids who are only a few

years away from being the next downtown drunkard. Couples making out like they'd never kissed before. It's totally awkward watching you tongue the BF while playing Farmville on your phone, miss.

Overheard in the Crowd: Fellow County Grind blogger Betsy Denberg on The Story So Far's set: "I guess my finger is just not on the pop-punk pulse."

Personal Bias: When the fuck did Vans become the new Chucks and when did it start being OK to wear a band's shirt to their show? Eye roll.

New Found Glory's Setlist:

-"Understatement"

-"My Friends Over You"

-"Sonny"

-"Something I Call"

-"Head on Collision"

-"It's Been a Summer"

-"Forget My Name"

-"Never Give Up"

-"Great Houdini"

-"Singled Out"

-"Belated"

-"Story So Far"

-"All Downhill"

-"Better Off Dead"

-"Truck Stop Blues"

-"Anthem"

-"Sincerely Me"

-"2's and 3's"

-"Hold My Hand"

-"Hit Or Miss"

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